Symptoms:
Pain, swelling, and tenderness at the wrist near the base of the thumb. Pain typically occurs at the left wrist at the top of the backswing.
Treatments:
Among the possible treatments are: Rest, medication, thumb spica splinting, therapy, cortisone, surgery
Do:
Avoid excessive cocking of the left wrist at the top of the backswing.
Don’t:
Release the hands prematurely at the top of the backswing (casting maneuver).
Note:
Arthritis at the base of the thumb will produce symptoms very similar to those of DeQuervain’s tendinitis. Your doctor can differentiate the two conditions by performing a careful physical exam and getting X-rays of the thumb.
About the Author
Larry Foster, M.D., F.A.A.O.S., is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who calls himself “a bad golfer, but a good golf orthopedist.” Dr. Foster’s enthusiasm for golf has earned him the nickname “Dr. Divot.” Dr. Foster trained at Columbia University and the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. He is the author of “Dr. Divot’s Guide to Golf Injuries.”